[se] wildest dreams

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Wine, Alys decided, was nice. The conversation may have taken a weird turn, but at least it was with Tal. As her closest friend, she knew she could trust him not to reveal her secrets, however strange or shameful they might be. "Depends on who it's with," she pointed out. "We're being vulnerable now, and 's not so bad." But maybe that was just the wine talking.

As for secrets, Alys winked at her friend. "How could I, when you'd reveal me as an imposter the moment I shared your secrets?" Then she smiled sincerely. "You don't have to worry about me, Tal. I'm not going to say a word." Except maybe to the cards, just every now and then. Just in case she could steer him in the right direction.

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

"...Oh. I... I guess we are," the courier admitted, having the grace for once to look sheepish, but far too relaxed to worry about it. "Well... guess it's not so bad when it's with a friend." And not just any friend. Hotaru, who had refused to let him go when he'd showed her his worst, was the only other person he might have been so open with, but he was as embarrassed to bring up the subject of his sexual history with her as he would have been with any of his blood sisters, even if he knew she'd never use it against him even in teasing.

It was just easier with Alys. And the wine. And the warm coziness of the crackling fire on LongNight as he melted a little further into his chair.

"Nah, hardly an imposter. An' I trust you," he assured her, happily realizing after the words were out of his mouth that it was true and left him feeling warm and fuzzy inside in a way that was only partly the alcohol's fault.

He set his glass down with care and then, with equal deliberation, gathered up the three cards in front of him and handed them with elaborate ceremony back to Alys - though he paused a moment, grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So can I see th'rest o' the deck? I wanna hear what you were thinkin' when you drew 'em."

The question would take them late into the night, with only the hour-candle's marks to tell the time without moon or sun or stars to go by. But somehow the time seemed to fly, far too short before their conversation became more yawns than words.

All in all it was the best damn LongNight Tal could remember, even if the empty wine bottles the morning after meant some of the memories were more than a little hazy by the end.

~Fin~